Buckeyes adapting to new offensive identity

When the season started, the Buckeyes knew where they were going. As the season has unfolded, Ohio State is feeling its way and recreating its offensive identity.

Todd Porter

When the season started, the Buckeyes knew where they were going.

As the season has unfolded, Ohio State is feeling its way and recreating its offensive identity.

Landing a sensational freshman quarterback who has proven he can start and lead the Buckeye offense will do that to a season. Whether OSU can adapt to a new offensive identity in time to salvage a national title run -- and if the rest of the country continues to cooperate -- remains to be seen.

Terrelle Pryor has taken over for Todd Boeckman at quarterback and Ohio State went from a balanced offense capable of throwing down the field to a run-oriented offense where defenses have to pick their poison. Neither option -- Pryor nor tailback Beanie Wells -- is particularly appetizing.

“I’d say we’re definitely a different team, offensively,” said receiver Brian Hartline, who caught just one pass in Ohio State’s win over Minnesota. “It’s helped to add a spark. We’re definitely a new offense. We can feel it on the field and I’m sure the people in the stands and watching on TV can too. It’s a little bit different, but it’s the same guys so it should be successful.

“We went to a national championship game last year and we have a whole new face come 12 months later. That caught me off guard a little bit. Our goals remain the same and we’re heading in the right direction.”

Well, most of the same guys. And it doesn’t appear any of them will be getting a break. The Buckeyes remained at No. 14 in the writers poll after a wild weekend that had four top 10 teams fall. USC only dropped from No. 1 to No. 9 despite losing to Oregon State. The Buckeyes fell out of the top 10 after losing to the Trojans.

Wells played for the first time since injuring his right foot against Youngstown State. Pryor threw just 13 passes, but the big freshman said that was by design against a 3-4 defense.

“It’s not more running, not at all,” Pryor said. “What we see on film is what we try to attack. That’s what we saw. They ran a 3-4 and we had running lanes. That’s why we didn’t throw the ball.”

When the game ended and Hartline had just one haul, that was the second time in two seasons he finished a game with one catch. The previous week against Troy, with Pryor at quarterback, Hartline caught two touchdown passes.

Tressel ran the ball, all told, nearly 70 percent of the time Saturday.

“No, receivers are never all right,” Hartline said. “We want to catch balls. We’re going to have to keep doing what we can do. Regardless, the coaches are going to do what they have to do to win games. That’s what it comes down to.”

Ohio State’s offense hasn’t been lighting it up, either. The Buckeyes entered Saturday’s game with the 92nd ranked offense and is averaging about 35 points a game.

With Wells and Pryor in the same backfield it created a dynamic opponents haven’t seen in some time. Who do you stop?

“When you’ve got Terrelle and Beanie, it spreads things out and the defense isn’t sure who to try and stop,” guard Jim Cordle said. “We did a good job of using our regular stuff and running between tackles.”

But it will take some getting used to. Receivers may have fewer opportunities, of course that may be Tressel’s subtle way of telling them to get open more.

“The coaches aren’t trying to lose,” Hartline said. “If they think this is the best way to go, I’m with them.”